When Stella Attacks
by JustCallMeMarly
Summary: Stella's got something up her sleeve...
1. When Stella Attacks

**A/N – My first CSI fic ever… be kind:P Just a 600-some-odd word drabble. I don't normally do drabble, but I'm trying to become better at. Any comment would be welcome! **

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

When Stella Attacks…

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

She stood in front of him, curly hair wild around her, shameless smirk on her perfect face and brandishing a pair of scissors. _Gulp..._ They looked sharp. And in a lot of the cases they saw, they were actually considered a murder weapon.

If it had been anyone else, he'd have been absolutely terrified at the look she gave him. But he was who he was, and this was _Stella_… as it was, he was only slightly… _concerned_.

"What are you doing?" Was that his voice? It was slightly higher pitched that it normally was. He'd been a Marine, damn it. This slip of a woman should _not_ be making him nervous.

"Oh, nothing. Absolutely nothing," she said smoothly. Mac swallowed again. Stella was in his personal space. She knew full well that it made him uncomfortable to have _anyone_ in his personal space. But that never stopped her. He suspected, with good reason, that she enjoyed making him uncomfortable.

"Scissors, Stell… that's _not_ nothing," he said. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, his voice was telling him to call out for Danny, or Aiden, or in the off chance that Detective Flack was somewhere around… but he didn't. He really couldn't help it if another part of him wanted to see what, exactly, she was up to. No matter what situation she was, undoubtedly, going to put him in. It wasn't often that the beautiful CSI marched into his office with such a determined look (and evil smirk, don't forget the smirk!) and wielding a sharp object.

"Pay no attention to the scissors in my hand," was all she had to say in reply. She stepped closer, the scissors coming right along with her.

"Right," he breathed, tensing up as they came a hair's breath away from his nose.

It made him wonder if he'd done something to piss her off and if those blades were going to end up embedded up his nose. Stella was a tough New York woman… she could have a temper on occasion.

There was a measuring look on her face; her bottom lip was between her teeth. Her eyes were locked somewhere at his neck. _His jugular?_ Then, without warning, her slim hand reached out and gripped the knot of his tie. A steady hand whipped up and the scissors made a distinctive 'thwick' sound as it sliced through the silk at his neck. His eyes were probably popping out of his head.

"Everything's connected, right Mac?" she asked, smirk in place on her face and a glint in her eyes.

"Uh… yeah…" he staggered out. She plopped the material in his hand.

"Well, your tie isn't anymore," she said before turning and sauntering out of his office. She punctuated a few steps with a few scissor snaps. All he could do was watch… one part annoyance, one part admiration, and another part something else altogether.

"I have 20 bucks on you that you won't make it to noon," she sang back to him. His fingers came up to his neck. It felt naked. He already itched to have something around his shirt collar… even if the only thing at his disposal on such short notice was bright yellow crime scene tape.

"Stella, it's eleven already!" he called out to her departing back. She shot him a grin over her shoulder.

"I know," she said. "Lunch'll be on me…" As she walked down the hallway towards trace, she handed off the pair of scissors to an open-mouthed level one who was still staring into Mac's office.

And _that_ was how Stella Bonasera became legend at the NYC Crime Lab. All Mac Taylor, the serious and formal CSI supervisor, could do was smile and think about what he wanted for lunch. That and how to steal a tie from someone in the lab. Stella would certainly want to help…

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

**Please let me know how you liked it. Maybe I'll venture into the world of CSI fic again… Actually, I know I will because I adore Mac/Stella… :) Rock on Gary and Melina! Anyway, thanks for stopping by and happy reading here on out!**


	2. The Ties That Bind

**A/N – I took the suggestions to heart… here's a little treat for all of you that reviewed. Thank you, by the way, for all the supremely kind words. ****I appreciate each and every review!**

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

"Nah uh. No way," Mac said as he stared at the woman standing in the doorway. Stella rolled her eyes as she stepped into the office and pulled out a chair. She plopped herself into the chair and leaned her elbows on her knees.

"You wanted my help, Mac," she said. She almost lost the stern look on her face at the stern look he gave her in return.

"I'm re-thinking the request," he said dryly. Stella rolled her eyes again – she seemed to be doing that a lot around Mac lately.

"Aw, ya gotta lighten up a bit," she said. He just stared at her. Stella held up her hands and gave him a pleading smile.

"Pick one," she said. Mac's frown deepened as he sat back and interlocked his fingers over his stomach.

"N… O… no. You're going to have to find something else," he said. Stella let out a huff.

"You're the one that came to me all desperate-like asking for help," she said.

"Yeah, but your options are severely limited," he pointed out. Stella looked between her hands.

"They're not that bad," she commented. Mac sat forward, elbows on his desk and a 'give me a break' look on his face.

"You're asking me to choose between Marvin the Martian and psychedelic smiley faces? Couldn't you find anything… _normal_?" he asked. Stella looked at the tie in her right hand and then the tie in her left hand. Then, she looked to Mac.

"Normal is relative, Mac. You know that," she said, resting her elbows on her knees again. Mac gave her another look.

"How about Flack? He doesn't wear crap like that," he said, pointing to the ties. Stella grinned.

"Feeling a little off? The missing tie getting to you?" she asked, knowing full well that she was poking at an already distressed bee hive.

"You won your 20 bucks, Stell," he said. Stella smiled at him.

"Yeah… but that doesn't mean I don't know you," she said. "As for Flack, I already cornered him. His big puppy dog eyes pleaded with me not to take his tie… so I didn't. He had a big meeting with the Captain today. I cut him some slack…"

"Fine. Danny's wearing a tie today… you could wheedle his…" Mac said almost pleadingly. Stella rolled her eyes again.

"How do you know Danny wasn't wearing Marvin?" she asked. Mac frowned.

"Why would he be?" he asked. Stella laughed.

"Because Danny has a sense of humor… _unlike_ you," she said.

"I have a sense of humor," he said.

"Buried beneath what depths?" she couldn't help but tease. "You never laugh at any of my jokes…" Mac let out a sigh as he sat back again.

"I'm laughing on the inside," he said. Stella narrowed her eyes.

"Are you, really? Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?" she asked. She knew he hated these conversations that bordered on crazy, but it was her self-appointed mission to make him laugh, smile or roll his eyes at least once a day. She'd succeeded in spades today, so she couldn't help but elbow it along a little. Mac rolled his eyes at her question, and she gave herself a mental tick mark.

"Stella… focus. We're talking about a tie," he said. This time Stella rolled her eyes.

"I'll find you another tie, Mac," she said on a beleaguered sigh. "What I do for you…" Mac smiled. _Tick…_

"It's good to be the boss," he said. She gave him a look.

"Don't try your luck, bub…" she threatened. "For that, I'll find you a _special_ tie."

"It's good to be the boss with a great partner," he amended. Stella gave him an appraising look.

"That's better…" she said. Stella knew that he wasn't usually so forthcoming with the offhanded compliments. He must be more uncomfortable than she thought. "I'll find you a normal, Mac Taylor-approved tie…" _Even if I have to go buy him one…_ she added in thought. The relief in his eyes was palpable.

"Thanks…"

"My life for yours…" she replied with a slight bow. He smiled again. _Tick._ Stella turned and started to walk out of his office with a sense of accomplishment.

"Hey, Stell," Mac called before she disappeared around the corner. She turned around with an arched brow in wait. "Where are we going for lunch tomorrow?"

"_You_ proved _me_ right with the bet… Your call, Mac… just not a dog show," she said. Mac chuckled as he turned back to the paperwork on his desk. _Another tick…_ Stella smirked. She was on a roll.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

They were done with their lunch when Stella slipped a package onto the table and in front of Mac.

"What's this?" he asked, picking up the box. Stella shrugged.

"Just a little something… for helping me win the bet," she said. He hesitated for a second before he lifted the lid off the oblong box. Stella waited impatiently for his reaction as he lifted the tissue paper.

"Stella…" he started to admonish, but she held up her hand to stop him.

"It's to replace the ruins of the tie I went renegade on," she said. Then she gave him a hard look. "And don't even _think_ about not taking it. Ties don't look good on me…" Mac lifted the tie out of the box and appraised it closely.

"It's the same exact tie," he said, touched that she would do such a thing. Stella smiled.

"I know. I knew that it was one of your favorites and that you'd be half a person without it," she said. Mac cracked a smile.

"Well, this is good, because I got you a present too," he said. Stella's face lit up.

"Really? What did you get me?" she asked. He set a box on the table as well. She impatiently reached for it and immediately opened the lid of the box. Stella had to purse her lips in order to hold back a grin.

"Mac…" she started, choking slightly on a laugh. When she looked up, it was into his laughing blue eyes.

"See, I have a sense of humor…" he said with a grin. Stella tried to look disapproving, but couldn't hold it. A laugh finally burst out as she lifted the child-proof plastic scissors from the box. It was, by far, the _best_ present she had ever received…

The End

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

**Well, how'd you like it? Was it good, bad? Should I stay out of the CSI:NY genre forever and ever? Let me know what you think!**


End file.
